Frank Ocean’s long-awaited album is here

Queues snaked around the block in NY where there were reports of free copies being handed out.

Meanwhile, Frank Ocean has released his magazine Boys Don’t Cry at selected locations across North America and Europe.

The 360-page magazine features interviews with Ocean’s mother and Lil B, alongside Ocean’s own photography; with a multi-scene screenplay penned by Ocean, horoscopes, and a section entitled “hopes and dreams”.

The album is also available to download on iTunes now. Listed as Blonde on Apple Music, the sleeve artwork spells it Blond.

The zine, which some fans are already selling on eBay for $1,000, features a collection of stunning photographs, illustrations, poems and essays by several artists, including Ocean himself.

On his Tumblr, Ocean confirms that he knew that folks were getting tired of waiting: “I had the time of my life making all of this”. Not only is the album name stylized differently but the track listing inside the magazine only includes 12 songs, two of which are missing. Among them: Beyoncé, David Bowie, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar.

Five years after Channel Orange, Blonde was released exclusively via Apple Music, and through pop-up shops in New York, London, Los Angeles and Chicago. Firstly he dropped his visual album Endless on Thursday (18th August) and then he put up a music video for “Nike” on Saturday (20th August).

On Saturday morning, Ocean debuted the first single from Blonde, Nikes.

Fans have been waiting years for Ocean’s return. On his Tumblr, Ocean posted a piece of writing about an experience of riding in a vehicle while high on magic mushrooms, and also a note which was more straightforward: “I had the time of my life making all of this”. Thank you all. Especially those of you who never let me forget I had to finish.